


and then there were three...

by laramorgan000



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Angst, M/M, Multi, and rich is shut out, chloes here to comfort the boy, i stan chloe and richs friendship, jake is angry, jeremy is heartbroken, michael is quiet, some angsty stuff based on a rp
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2019-09-17 13:29:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16975467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laramorgan000/pseuds/laramorgan000
Summary: “You son of a bitch…” Jake said, leaning in the doorway as Rich woke up. He felt his heart already shattering as he took in the sight before him.Rich blinked as he woke up, taking in the sleeping figure lying next to him. His eyes widened, and he shot up, locking eyes with Jake. He opened his mouth to respond but Jake had already turned away.A raging party, too much alcohol, one huge mistake.





	1. I

Michael rolled over when he heard his phone go off, not wanting to continue reading some stupid textbook anyway. There were much better things he could be doing, like cuddling with one, or all, of his boyfriends. Speaking of his boyfriends, Michael smiled as the affectionate nickname he’d put Jeremy under popped up on his phone.

[Player 2] Mmm  
[Player 2] Hey milr  
[Player 2] Mike  
[You] Yes Jere?  
[Player 2] Hahgf hey so  
[Player 2] Funny story

Michael frowned. This didn’t sound good. He had a bad feeling about this.

[You] …  
[You] Yes?  
[You] What’s up?  
[Player 2] I’m crying in my closet  
[Player 2] Besguse Jake just told me he foudh rich nearly naked next to some random chick

Michael frowned even more. Did Jeremy just say that?

[You] Wait,,,  
[You] What?  
[Player 2] Yrah pretty surehe cheated

Michael felt his heart break. No, no, Rich wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t do that to them. He almost dropped his phone as his mind was racing, full of questions. He snapped out of his thoughts, looking back at his phone. Jeremy. Jeremy needed him.

[You] What the fuck rich?  
[You] Do you want me to come over?

Michael stood up, keeping his eyes on the screen of his phone as he slipped his shoes on. He made his way out to his car, wanting to get to Jeremy as soon as he could.

[Player 2] Yrs  
[Player 2] Jake’s at Rich’s plac  
[Player 2] I need a hug  
[Player 2] And to get out of my closet but I canr  
[You] Okay  
[You] I’ll be there soon  
[Player 2] Hank you  
[You] It’s not a problem  
[You] I’m on my way  
[Player 2] I love you  
[You] I love you too

Michael slipped his phone in his pocket before he started his car, driving to Jeremy’s as fast as he could. He could be mad at Rich later. Jeremy was his top priority right now, and he said Jake was with Rich. So, Michael hurried to get to Jeremy's house as soon as he could. He let himself in, like he usually does, and headed straight for Jeremy's room.  
Jeremy was curled up in his closet, honestly completely unsure of how he even got there. He was curled up in a ball, trying his damn hardest to stop crying but getting nearly nowhere. He knew that he probably would only break down further when Michael got there, but he could at least try. He sniffled and looked out the open closet door, his eyes instantly catching a few items that belonged to Rich, things that he kept leaving here (not that Jeremy minded. At least, back then he didn’t mind), causing a sharp sob to tear through his throat just as the door opened, one of Rich's sweatshirts on his lap.  
Michael opened the door, his face softening when he saw Jeremy and walked over. He sat down outside the closet and held Jeremy's hands, squeezing them gently.  
"I don't think I can fit in there with you but I'm right here..." He said softly. Michael hated seeing Jeremy like this, he hated seeing any of his boyfriends like this.  
Jeremy sniffled and nodded, gripping tightly onto Michael's hands. He continued to softly cry and moved forwards, keeping his head down. Rich's sweatshirt on his lap dampened in a few places when stray tears dripped down Jeremy's face and onto the fabric. He hiccupped harshly and squeezed the other boy’s hands again before pulling one back, wiping his face. He hiccupped and covered his mouth, softly crying into the surface and tightly squeezing Michael's hand with the other.  
Michael frowned. He glanced down at Rich's sweatshirt in Jeremy's lap, but he wasn't about to take it from him. He might not want anything to do with Rich right now, but he wasn’t about to pull the sweatshirt away from his boyfriend. Michael looked back at Jeremy before gently pulling him out of the closet and onto his lap, wrapping his arms around him, Jeremy reaching out to cling to Michael as soon as he had the chance. He wrapped his arms tightly around Michael's shoulders, burying his face in his neck.  
"It's okay, Jere... Let it out, okay?" He mumbled softly, kissing Jeremy's head as he rocked him gently. "I'm going to stay right here."  
Jeremy hiccupped and didn't stop himself from completely breaking down at that, sobbing into Michael’s shoulder. Michael squeezed his eyes shut, letting out a shaky breath. Tears began to roll down his face, trying his best to comfort Jeremy. He held him close, whispering little promises and words of comfort. Around 10 minutes later Jeremy calmed down enough that he wasn't sobbing but tears were still down his face.  
"I don't know what to do. I love him. He said he— he said he loved me," he cried softly.  
"I know, doll, I know... He said he loved us. He said he loved all of us..." Michael kissed Jeremy's head. "You... You still have me... And you still have Jakey... B-but it’s not the same..."  
"I want Rich too," Jeremy whispered in return, his voice quiet and utterly heartbroken. "I want Rich, I want Rich to love me... I want him to love us! I don't want him to lie!" He snapped, harshly hiccupping and forcing down sobs with a shut mouth and screwed his eyes shut. He sniffled harshly and clung to Michael as close as he could, through suddenly pulled back. He grabbed the sweatshirt and threw it across the room angrily, tears pouring down his face. "I hate him!" He screamed.  
It hurt Michael to see Jeremy like this, it hurt him to hear the words coming out of Jeremy's mouth. But he let Jeremy let it all out. And he hated Rich too, for what he did, for making him feel this way, for making Jeremy feel this way.  
"I know... I want him too. I- we can't go back after this..." He mumbled. He pulled Jeremy close again, holding him against his chest. He ran his fingers through Jeremy's hair. "I hate him too... He hurt us... He said he loved us..." And then a terrible thought came through his head, 'were they not enough for him? What if he never wanted them in the first place?' He pushed the thought away. He wasn't going to say that. Not right now, he didn’t want to be thinking about that.  
Angry tears continued to pour down Jeremy's face as he stared down, his hands balled into tight fists around the fabric of Michael's sweatshirt. He sniffled and harshly wiped his face, the exact same thought circling through his mind for the past few hours but staying unsaid. He reached up and tightened his hands in his hair, a loud groan escaping him.  
"I hate him. I hate him. Fuck him, fuck him!" He shouted, an unsteady sob rocking through his body.  
Michael let go of Jeremy, moving his hands to cup his cheeks. He wished that he could make all of Jeremy's problems go away, but it will be good for him to let it out. He wiped Jeremy's tears with his thumbs. "I know, baby, I know... Let it out, okay? Let it all out. I'm here for you, and I love you. So much."  
Jeremy gave a few quick breaths and stared at Michael, attempting to force down his cries before giving up and sobbing once again. "I want to hug him and punch him," Jeremy cried quietly. "He— he has the best hugs—" he hiccupped  
"I want to scream at him and tell at him for how much he hurt us... And I want to hold him in my arms again..." Michael closed his eyes and shook his head, kissing Jeremy's forehead. "K-Keep going..." He said, wrapping his arms around him again.  
"I— he—" Jeremy choked quietly, squeezing Michael's arms. "I just want him to hold me and comfort me... I don't want him to hate us. I don't want him to cheat... I love him, Michael. I love him! Why can't he love me!" Jeremy babbled.  
Michael ran his fingers through Jeremy's hair. "I know, I know, I just want us to be happy... All of us. With him too. I fucking hate him, but I love him and-" He shook his head, closing his eyes and holding Jeremy as close as he could.  
Jeremy gently reached up and caressed Michael's cheek, staring at him with a sad smile and not saying anything.  
"I just... Fuck," he whispered sadly, shaking his head in an attempt to free some of the matted hair from his head up to a more fluffy and comfortable state. He reached forward and wrapped his arms back around Michael again, burying his face into his neck.  
Michael opened his eyes and looked down at him when he felt Jeremy caressing his cheek.  
"I know..." He said quietly, closing his eyes again and taking a shaky breath.


	2. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake confronts Rich about the night before

Jake paced around the front of the house, ringing the doorbell for the fifth time. Rich still hadn’t answered the door, and he was tired of him avoiding it. Jake was fully aware of that. Coward. He reached forward and banged on the door again, glancing at Rich's car before banging harder. He was home. Fucking pussy.   
"Rich open the fucking door!" He screamed.  
Rich knew a lot of things. From weird and obscure facts about anything, to how someone was feeling, to the little habits that his boyfriends had. Like how Michael lifted the hood on his hoodie when he was overwhelmed, and how Jeremy loved to steal and wear other peoples clothes because it made him feel comfortable and safer, and how Jake had two sides to him: the well-known King of Middleborough that everyone saw and Jakob Dillinger, the side only his closest friends (and his boyfriends) got to see. He also knew how this was going to go. He bit his lip, backing away from the door. He had been staring at the door the whole time Jake was out there. He didn’t like the yelling, he didn't want to face Jake, he didn't want to face any of them. But he knew that not letting Jake in would only make things worse. He knew how angry Jake could get, it came out a lot while he was drunk. At least he had three people to hold him back and distract him. He had to face his boyfriends sooner or later. They weren't going to forget it. He knew that. Rich stepped forward again, hesitating before he unlocked the door and quickly moving back. He wanted to stay away from Jake.  
Jake jumped when he heard Rich's door unlock, staring in surprise for a minute before nearly kicking it down and storming in. He didn't expect it, but boy was Rich going to get it now.  
"What the fuck Rich?" He shouted.  
Rich flinched as Jake yelled, backing away again. Yelling. He hated yelling. He shook his head, trying to keep his distance from Jake.   
"I-I'm sorry- I-I shouldn't-" He cut himself off. An apology wasn't going to make it up to any of them. He knew that. But that was all that was stuck in his throat. He was sorry, he never wanted to hurt them. Hurting his boys was the last thing he ever wanted to do.  
Jake stared at him in disbelief, a bitter laugh coming out of him. "You're sorry? You're fucking sorry? That's it?" He shook his head. "No. You go to some fucking frat party and have sex with my fucking ex and break all out hearts? And all you have to say is your fucking sorry?" He snapped, stepping forward and quickly getting in Rich's face. Rich flinched as Jake got closer, a flash of fear in his eyes.   
"To my knowledge, you got Michael clueless, Jeremy sobbing and completely heartbroken at his place, and me here. I'm staying here until I have a fucking answer that isn't two words and you can't make me leave!" Jake shouted, shoving the other boy back.  
Rich stumbled back, falling to the ground as he lost his balance. He tried to keep his distance, scrambling away from Jake. Jake shoved him, Jake hurt him. He never thought Jake would do that to him. Although he thought he deserved everything he got. From Jake, from Jeremy, from Michael. From all three of them.   
"W-We didn't- I don't..." Rich shook his head. "I-I didn't mean to- I-I had too much and then one thing lead to another a-and I didn't know what I was doing- I-I fucked everything up..."  
Jake stared down at the shorter boy, possibly making the other feel even smaller than he already was. And Rich hated it. He shrunk back, moving further away from his boyfriend.  
"You're a fucking asshole. You don't know what the fuck you did, do you? All you could say is 'I’m sorry', leave Jeremy sobbing and begging for you to love him in his house and— god I don't even know if Michael knows or not. You're a fucking asshole, Rich. Don't blame this on being drunk or whatever other shitty excuses you have."  
"What else am I supposed to say, Jake!" Rich snapped, instantly regretting it. He cowered back again. He needed Jake to listen to him, to know that he never wanted to hurt any of them. "What do you want me to say? I told you what happened! And I can't change anything, and I fucked up and I deserve everything I get!" He held back his tears, he couldn't cry, not now. He didn't have the right to. He fucked everything up. He was about to lose the best things that had happened to him because of one stupid drunk mistake he made. He didn't even remember everything that happened. Most of the night, yes. That part, not so much. He didn’t know why. It was fuzzy. Way too fuzzy. It was weird, but saying that wasn't going to make anything better. Nothing could, why would they want him back anyway?  
Jake snarled at Rich's response and promptly flipped him off, stepping back. "You could do it sooner now too, I guess. I doubt anyone would care on account of the fact you're single," he spat, stuffing his hands into his pockets and beginning out of the house.  
Rich blinked, shaking his head. No, no he couldn't. He couldn't lose any of them. No. He scrambled to his feet and ran after Jake, grabbing his hand. He couldn't let him go, he needed him. He needed Jake. He needed his boyfriend, he needed his best friend.  
"Jake- Jake, please... I don't want to lose you-"  
"Well that sucks for you then doesn't it?" Jake hissed, continuing on his trail outside. He ignored the tears in his eyes, forcing them down. He froze when Rich grabbed his hand but didn't pull it away, not yet. He wanted Rich back more than anything. But he couldn't. He just stared outside the open door blankly. "Let me go, Rich. I need to comfort my boyfriend."  
"Jake, please..." His voice cracked slightly, but he ignored it. He was losing them. He was going to lose them all. "I-I have no clear explanation of what happened, but I love you, and I love Jeremy, and I love Michael. I-I'm sorry... Truly. I want to take it all back. Everything..."  
Jake lifted his hand and wiped his eyes, looking away from Rich fully. He sniffled and covered his eyes, squeezing them shut.   
"Let my hand go, Rich. I'm leaving, and you can't stop that. You slept with someone else, you slept with my ex. I can't... We can't just forget about it no matter how much you beg and promise it won't happen again."  
"I didn't... I never meant to hurt you... Any of you..." Rich wiped his eyes, slowly letting go of Jake's hand. He knew that Jake wasn't going to listen to him anymore. The pleading was useless. Jake didn't respond, instead just walked away from Rich with stale tears forcing themselves down his face. He climbed into his car, angrily punched the steering wheel with a loud honk. He started up the car instantly after, driving away without a passing glance at the house.   
Rich shook his head, stepping back as he watched Jake leave. He slowly shut the door, sliding down against it as he let out a choked sob. Rich knew a lot of things. He knew lost Jake. And he knew he was going to lose the rest of them too. He knew that he was going to be alone. And he knew he wasn’t going to be able to stop the tears from falling down his face.


	3. III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael, Jake, and Jeremy comfort each other

Jake eventually made it across the town to Jeremy's place. He exited his car and rushed to the front door, ringing the bell a few times. Michael looked up when he heard the doorbell and kissed the top of Jeremy's head.   
"I'll go get it..." He said softly. He carefully moved Jeremy off him and stood, stretching a little before going and opening the door. Jeremy nodded and stood right after Michael, both of the boys getting most of what they needed to out of their system.  
Michael pulled Jake into a tight hug as soon as he saw him. Jeremy sniffled and followed after Michael, staring at the two boys for a minute and slowly wrapping his arms around both of the boys in a tight hug, it only then becoming evident that Jake was crying into Michael's shoulder quietly once he pulled Jeremy close. Michael hugged both of them, gently rubbing Jake's back.   
"It's okay, Jakey. Let it all out, we're here. We're right here..." He said softly, squeezing him gently.  
Jake nodded softly and kept his arms wrapped around both Jeremy and Michael's shoulders, holding them as close as he could. "He's such a fucking asshole. All he had to say was 'sorry'," Jake coughed softly, sniffling directly after.  
Michael nodded, kissing the side of Jake's head. "It's not the same... But we still have each other. And we're not going anywhere..."   
Jake nodded and pulled back, pulling Jeremy close to himself in a tight hug with one arm, the other hand wiping off his face. "Right, right. I know Michael," he agreed, giving Jeremy a small squeeze. He kissed the top of the short boy’s head and held him as close as he could quietly asking if he was okay and receiving an unsure nod. He frowned and wrapped his other arm back around Michael, Jeremy clinging to his side tightly. Michael wrapped his arms around them again, resting his head on Jake's shoulder.   
"There was a bit of yelling..." Michael said quietly, running his fingers through Jeremy's hair. "He needs us... We need each other..." He sighed and looked up at Jake. "How are you doing?"  
Jake nodded and leaned down, gripping just above the back of Jeremy's knees and lifting him up. Jeremy instantly wrapped his arms and legs around Jake, burying his face into the other's neck. Jake gave a small frown and shifted to hold Jeremy to his side slightly with one arm, the other wrapping around Michael.   
"I'm doing... Alright. Hurt, but I'll worry about that later. I don't need anything reactivating in Jeremy's head especially because Rich isn't here," Jake explained. It wasn't uncommon for the SQUIP to reactivate when Jeremy was going through extreme emotions— positive or negative. It would start up and start speaking again. It was weak, but its words still took its toll on Jeremy. They knew that Michael could always deactivate it rather quickly, but that didn't count for the emotional distress it put Jeremy though afterwards which would probably trigger it again if he didn’t drink enough. Because of that, Michael usually kept a bottle of red or two in his car, just in case Jeremy needed it.   
Michael nodded, leaning against Jake as he looked at Jeremy. "I have a bottle in my car. I can get it out before I go to pay Rich a visit..." He sighed, resting his head on Jake's shoulder. "Just in case it does."  
Jake nodded and kissed Jeremy head quietly, bouncing the other in his grasp slightly.  
"What happened when I was gone? You heard what's up right?" Jake clarified quietly, kissing Jeremy's cheek again.  
Michael nodded. "Yeah, I know what happened... Jeremy was sobbing in his closet, holding one of Rich's sweatshirts. He loved him, he wants him, but he hates him... I told him to let it all out. He did. He's so heartbroken..."  
Jeremy sniffled and nodded before Jake could even ask for clarification, Jake frowning and holding Jeremy in a tight hug. "I never want to see him again, but I want to cuddle on the couch. I want to have the movie night he had planned for me and him. I wanted to cuddle. I want him to love me," he choked, a soft cry escaping into Jake's neck.  
Michael frowned and gently rubbed Jeremy's back. "He just wants him to love us, love him. I need to talk to Rich..." He looked back at Jake. "Will you two be okay? I'll get the red before I go..."  
Jake nodded and kissed the side of Jeremy's head. "That would be a huge help Mike," Jake nodded, nuzzling the top of Jeremy's head. Jeremy hid his face again, clinging to Jake tightly. Michael nodded, slowly pulling away from his two boyfriends, disappearing outside. Jake wrapped his other arm around Jeremy, walking into the living room and taking a seat on the couch. Jeremy still cuddled up to his boyfriend, nuzzling his shoulder while Jake gently rubbed his back.  
Michael returned with the bottle of Mountain Dew Red, setting it on the table. He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of Jake and Jeremy’s heads. “I’ll be back soon,” he said softly. Jake nodded, looking up with a small, sad smile.  
Michael returned the smile before going back out to his car. He took a shaky breath before he started the car, making his way to Rich’s place.


	4. IV

Rich flinched as he heard the knock on the door, looking up. He wiped his eyes, not moving from where he sat. He bit his lip as whoever it was knocked again.  
“Rich?” Michael called.   
Rich squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head. He wanted nothing more than for Michael to hold him in his arms, make him feel better. But the solemn tone in Michael’s voice told him that he already knew what happened.  
Michael sighed, resting his forehead against the door for a moment. “I know you’re home. You never deal with conflict well…” He stood back as he heard the rattle of the handle. The door opened to reveal a tearstained Rich peaking out from behind the door. It took everything in Michael to not reach out and pull him into a tight hug. Instead, he stepped inside, facing away from Rich. He heard the door click shut and he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.  
“You know what happened?” Rich asked, his voice small. God, Michael hated it when he sounded like that. Hurt, scared, wanting someone to hold him and make everything better.  
Michael nodded. “Jeremy told me… ‘Hey, funny story… I’m crying in my closet because Jake said he found Rich half naked lying next to some chick.’” He shook his head. “You know how much I hate seeing my boys upset, Rich.”  
Rich looked down. Michael was always there, for all of them. When Jeremy needed comfort from everything going on, when Jake looked a little down because of his parents, when Rich needed a break from his home life… Michael was always there to cheer them up. Rich figured that’s why Michael wouldn’t look at him. Not just because of what he did, but it made it easier to hold back and resist giving Rich the hug he so desperately wanted from him.  
Michael took a deep breath. “It was bad, Rich… Sitting in his closet with your sweatshirt in his arms, heartbroken…”  
Rich blinked back tears. He still didn’t think he deserved to cry. Not after how much he hurt his boys.  
“And to hear him say those things… He hates you. He hates you, but he loves you. God, Rich, he hates you so fucking much but he wants you to hold him, to have the movie night you two planned. He wants you to love him. More than anything… ‘I love him, Michael. I love him! Why can’t he love me?’”  
“I-”  
“Don’t you dare fucking apologise, Rich. An apology does not make up for breaking our hearts.”  
Rich opened his mouth before closing it again, biting back another apology. “I know… I-I was going to say ‘I love you’ but that sounds pretty hard to believe…”  
Michael let out a bitter laugh. “You’re right.”  
Rich shrunk back, pressing himself against the wall. “A-And I never meant to hurt any of you… The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you.”  
Michael was quiet for a moment. “You know, I used to believe that.”  
Rich squeezed his eyes shut, taking a shaky breath.  
“I used to believe that you would always be there for us, that you would care for us, that you would love us. And then you do this…” Michael shook his head. “It makes me wonder if you really loved us.”  
“I did! I love you and Jake and Jeremy! I love you guys so fucking much… I-I don’t know what happened. E-Everything’s fuzzy…”  
“So, you drunk so much you don’t even remember cheating on us, huh?” Michael bit back a bitter laugh.  
“Michael- You know I wouldn’t want to hurt you-”  
“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Michael said coldly.  
Rich looked down. “Michael…”  
“No. No pity, no excuses, no nothing. You say you had no one in freshman year, then what was I, huh?” Michael turned around to face Rich, tears running down his cheeks. “You didn’t even hesitate to get that thing, to leave me behind. And then you got Jeremy to do the exact same thing? And now this.” He headed towards the door. “I don’t think I can trust you again…”  
Rich didn’t respond, and Michael didn’t bother waiting for one. He opened the door, pausing for a moment.  
“I’m sorry…” Michael said quietly before walking out, shutting the door behind him.  
Rich sunk down against the wall, picking at one of the burns on his skin. Michael was right… How could any of them trust him again?

Michael got into his car, sitting quietly for a moment. He punched the steering wheel, ignoring the loud honk it made, before pulling off his glasses and tossing them onto the seat beside him. He furiously wiped his eyes as he finally let out everything he’d been holding in, sobs wracking his body.

After an hour or so of mindlessly driving around, he eventually made his way back to Jeremy’s. He went inside, silently cuddling up to his boyfriends on the couch, closing his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took so long to get out, I'm sorry. But Chloe is going to make an appearance next chapter. And she has some digging to do


	5. V

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hhhhhhh this isn't the greatest, but its about time i update this. i do have a plan in mind, unlike some other fics of mine-

[Gossip Queen] Chloe  
[Gossip Queen] u will never guess what I just found out  
[Gossip Queen] Chloe, pick up ur phone and actually reply 2 me  
[Gossip Queen] u really would want to hear this

Chloe groaned and rolled over to pick up her phone, tired of all the constant buzzing. She sat up, running a hand through her hair as she skimmed over Jenna's texts.  
[You] What did you find out?  
The girl hummed, watching the chat bubble as Jenna was typing. Jenna had toned down the gossiping since the events of the last year, and Chloe wondered exactly what gossip she had found that made it so urgent to share.

[Gossip Queen] Okay so. u no how jake + rich went 2 that party? madeline was also there, important detail. anyway so the events are not clear but from what people r saying is that jake and rich kinda spilt up? mayb. dustin said that they were mostly alone during the party. anyway. i heard that madeline had been talking to rich and then the two disappeared and jake found the two half naked the next moring. what happened is unclear but jake is not happy about it and mike and jere are boundto know soon 2

Chloe's eyes widened as she read the message. No, Rich wouldn't do that. God, she knew how much the boy loved his boyfriends. So, this all sounded... Wrong. She frowned, quickly typing a reply.

[You] Are you saying that Rich cheated on his boyfriends? The guys he's head over heels for? With Madeline? Out of all people?  
[Gossip Queen] thats what it looks like  
[Gossip Queen] its what everyone is saying and madeline is talking about it  
[You] You mean bragging?  
[You] This does not sound like Rich at all  
[Gossip Queen] it sounds sketcy but ur the nxt best person 2 go 2 with this afyer his boyfriends  
[Gossip Queen] ur like his best friend after his boys  
[You] I know. Rich loves them too much to do this. I'm going to talk to him  
[Gossip Queen] good luck. ill update u with any new info

Chloe stood up, dropping her phone on her bed. This was not something Rich would do, she knew that. Maybe if he still had that stupid computer in his head but no, this Rich cared about his boys too much to do this to them. And with Madeline? Out of all people, he would sink that low? Something fishy was going on. Madeline was involved, and she did not like it.  
Chloe quickly got dressed, fixing her hair and make up before pocketing her phone. She needed to talk to Rich, so that's where she went.

Rich was still sitting where he had been after Michael left. Jake wouldn't listen to him, Michael wouldn't listen to him, and he knew that there was no way Jeremy would even want to see him. No one would listen to him. By the time Chloe had arrived, Rich had run out of tears to cry. He was tired, not just from the crying, and he lost the best things that had ever happened to him. He didn't know what to do. He jumped at the sound of another knock on the door.  
"Rich? I know you're home. It's Chloe," she said.  
Rich frowned, not responding. Chloe didn't sound mad, he didn't know if she knew or not. Maybe this was just a joke, and she was pretending so he could open the door so she could yell at him too and- no. This was Chloe. Chloe had always been there for him. If he couldn't go to his boyfriends, he would go to Chloe. He forced himself to his feet and opened the door. He kept his eyes focused on the ground, not wanting his friend to see his face.  
Chloe frowned at the sight. She figured that his boyfriends had already stopped by, and it pained her to see him so down, so empty, so quiet... She stepped inside and wrapped an arm around Rich, shutting the door behind them. "Right. You are going to sit on the couch, maybe grab some blankets. And I am going to make us a cup of tea. Then we're going to talk."  
Rich nodded, leaning against Chloe as she spoke. He slowly pulled away and walked into the living room, curling up in the corner with a few blankets.  
Chloe watched him before she headed into the kitchen, boiling the kettle. She leaned on the counter, looking at Rich through the doorway. He was so quiet it almost felt... Wrong. Chloe didn't like it. Sure, she knew that Rich was capable of being quiet, but this type of silence was different. He seemed tired, ready to give up on everything. The girl sighed, moving off the bench before she made them both a cup of tea each, then making her way over to rich. She handed the boy a mug before she sat next to him, taking a sip of her own.  
Rich was quiet for a few moments longer. "You don't have to do this..."  
Chloe shrugged. "I wanted to.”  
He shifted, turning to look at her. "Do you know what happened?"  
She sighed and nodded, taking another sip of her tea. "Jenna sent me a few texts. She got it from the most unreliable sources ever. Dustin and Madeline." Chloe looked at Rich again, who had turned away, resting his head on the arm of the couch. "But I take it that it happened, huh?"  
Rich just shrugged in response. "I don't know what happened. But Jake wouldn't listen to me. Neither would Michael..."  
Chloe nodded slowly. "So, they've both stopped by..."  
The boy nodded again. Chloe sighed. She took another sip of her tea. “Well, I’m going to be the one to listen to you. This isn’t like you. I know for a fact that you wouldn’t even dream of hurting your boys like this.”  
“I must have…”  
“Rich Goranski, you love your boys more than anything in the world. If you hurt them, you definitely did not do it on purpose.”  
Rich sighed, looking down at his cup of tea. “I don’t know what happened…”  
“And that is what I’m here to help with. So, what do you remember?”  
He bit his lip, keeping his eyes trained on the liquid. “Jake and I arrived at the party. We decided to separate for a bit and meet up later. I ran into Madeline and we talked for a bit. I had a bit to drink already, I think. I left for a bit and that’s when everything got all fuzzy…”  
Chloe frowned. “When?”  
“When I got back and got my drink again.”  
“Oh god…”  
“Then everything went weird and next thing I knew, I was waking up next to Madeline and Jake was standing in the doorway. It’s all my fault…”  
“No, it’s not…” Chloe wrapped an arm around Rich and pulled the boy close. “It’s not your fault, okay? You would never do anything like that, and the alcohol alone wouldn’t have done it…”  
Rich just nodded. “I’m tired…”  
Chloe gave the boy a gentle squeeze, taking his cup and placing it on the coffee table. “Sleep, okay? I’ll be here…”  
It didn’t take long for Rich to fall asleep. He was exhausted, and Chloe could see that. Once Rich had fallen asleep, Chloe grabbed her phone.

Madeline loved to cause trouble. This time, she had messed with the wrong people, and Chloe was going to give her a piece of her mind.

[You] sos we have a relationship to save  
[Gossip Queen] you figured it out???  
[Lohst and Found] what happened?  
[Ace Actress] everything okay?  
[You] Madeline fucked up and she’s gonna pay


End file.
